Gulval

Blight's Churches of West Cornwall—1864

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The following description is lifted directly from [Blight 1885] but note that the text was
prepared for the Gentleman’s Magazine 1862-64 and is
largely unaltered. It must be read in the context of that date.
The drawings are by the author.

Creed ence, St. Gulval.

ST. GULVAL (or St. GUDWALL) CHURCH, embosomed
in foliage, is pleasantly situated about a mile from Penzance,
on the northern shore of Mount’s Bay. It has chancel,
nave with transept and western tower, south aisle and porch. On
the south side of the chancel are sedile and piscina, and in
the north wall a credence, all having arches of Decorated
character ; those of the sedile and credence being
cinquefoiled, the piscina trefoiled.

The transept, as at St. Levan x, is divided from the nave by two
arches with plain octagonal piers.

A small well-sculptured corbel-head projects from the
spandril between the second and third arches of the nave, and
on the moulding of the third arch are traces of ancient
painting; the figure remaining looks like the termination of a
crocketed and finialed canopy, with a lettered scroll on either
side.

Pinnacle of Tower,
St. Gulval.

The tower, a very plain granite structure, has three stages
carried up on nearly the same plane to the parapet, which
overhangs, with a hollow mould; and at the angles immediately
under the parapet are sculptured figures, probably intended for
the four Evangelists.

The belfry windows, each of three lights, have a kind of
geometrical tracery without cusps. The mouldings of the western
doorway consist of three rounds and two cavettos; and the
plinth mouldings (a round and chamfer), which in other towers
of the district stop at the springings of the arch, are here
continued boldly as a hoodmould over the doorway.

The staircase is contained in the thickness of the north
wall, with an entrance from without; an inner doorway is
blocked up. The tower-arch differs from any other previously
noticed, being a plain soffit-arch with chamfered imposts, and
underneath (as if an afterthought) responds with a moulded
arch.

The very simplicity of the tower renders it worthy of
notice. There are three bells of late date; one bears the
following:—

Tower-arch,
St. Gulval.

“ILE . RING . ALLWAYS . MY . MAKERS . PRAYES .
1675.”

Between each word is stamped the head of
Charles II., with the superscription, CAROLUS II. DEO GRATIA,
like a coin of the period, and about the size of a
shilling.

Shields on Font, St.
Gulval.

The general form of the font resembles that at St. Burian , having a pedestal consisting of
three-quarter rounds at the angles, with a cavetto between
each. At one angle of the bowl is an angel; the others have
shields curiously sculptured.

This church was reseated and partially restored in 1857; and
some good stained glass memorial windows have recently been
inserted. A curious old cross stands in the south-eastern
corner of the churchyard z.